CHANDIGARH: The appointment of Mr. Varinder Kataria as the Punjab Pradesh Congress president by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao has comes. Shot in the arm for the State ‘Congress dissidents who have claimed this as their “first victory.” With this. Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar stands weakened. He has not only lost the president ship of the State Congress. But also his clout with the Central leadership.
The dissidents, or late Beant Singh loyalists, however, feel that the appointment of Mr. Kataria, a former Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, is an outcome of their sustained against Mr. Brar in Delhi.
Mr. Brar, who has been unable to check the dissidence within the party even after expanding his Council of Ministers to 42, now finds himself being excluded from public functions organized in the State by the Beant loyalists.
Meanwhile, Beant Singh’s elder son Tej Prakash has announced the observance of “Sankalp Diwas” on February 19, the birth anniversary of his father at his. Native. Village Payal. In Ludhiana district. But, interestingly, Mr, Brar has neither been invited for the celebration nor do the dissidents plan to let him speak at the function even if he decides to go on his own.
‘The main speakers on the occasion would be: Beant Singh’s widow Jaswant Kaur, Youth Congress president Maninderjit Singh Bitta, Mr. ‘Ahmed Patel, Mr. Buta Singhand Mr, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Mr. Bitta who had serious differences with Beant Singh is now meeting fences with the Congress di dents, it is being stipulated that Mr. Bitta is building bridges with Beant Singh’s family at the Prime Minister’s behest. All this might not be a positive sign for Mr. Brar. ‘Again, Mr. Rao has made Mr. Kataria the PCC chief despite the fact that Mr. Kataria and Mr, Brar did not get along well and Mr. Kataria was left out of the dinner Mr. Brar had with the Punjab MPs in Delhi recently.
Mr, Kataria has a grudge with Mr. Brar that has created obstacles in Mr. Kataria’s way in the development of Abohar from where Mr. Kataria hails.
‘Meanwhile, Congress dissidents like former Minister Lal Singh have termed Mr, Kataria’s appointment a “judicious’ decision which will go a long way in strengthening the party.”
Mr, Bitta has said that the appointment will infuse a new life in the party, while former PCC chief M.S, Gill has termed it as a timely action of Mr. Rao.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 21, 1996
